Handle assembly



Feb. 26, 1957 G. G. MANUEL ETAL 2,783,075

HANDLE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 50. 1953 G. G. MANUEL A .P/Z /A L INVENTORS United HANDLE ASSEMBLY Guy G. Manuel, Detroit, and Alfred Piziali, Dearborn, Mich., assignors to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation .of Delaware Application November 30, 1953, Serial No. 395,122

2 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-353) This invention relates generally to a handle assembly for motor vehicles, and has particular reference to a readily detachable handle construction.

It has been customary to construct the inside handles for motor vehicles, such as the window regulator handles and the inside remote control handles for the door locks,

in such manner as to permit them to be readily detached from the shaft or stem protruding from the inner door body panel to permit the adjacent upholstery panel to be removed and access to be had to the interior of the door or body for suitable repairs or adjustment. One method of constructing such a handle assembly has been toprovide acne-piece die cast handle having a groove formed in an intermediate portion of its hub to permit the insertion therethrough of a hairpin shaped spring detent adapted to engage a peripheral groove in the stem to retain the handle thereon yet permit removal of the handleby withdrawing the spring detent. An object of the present invention is to provide a handle construction of this general type but having improved features. For example, the construction is designed to efiect substantial economies in the manufacture of the die cast handle. In addition, 'the spring detent is mounted in such position as to be effectively shielded from view, yet in position to be readily removed Without the necessity of providing a spring urged escutcheon plate or a flexibly mounted door upholstery panel. Consequently, the hub of the handle may be mounted closely adjacent a fixed upholstery door panel, and further economies are effected.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a handle assembly incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken longitudinally of the handle assembly on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 -5 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference-character 11 indicates generally a handle for a motor vehicle having a hub portion 12, a crank arm 13, and a knob 14 rotatably mounted upon the end of the crank arm 13 and adapted to be manually engaged for operation ofthe handle. In the present instance the handle shown .is a window regulator handle adapted to be mounted inside a motor vehicle for operation of the window lift mechanism, but the construction of the present invention may be used as well in connection with other types of motor vehicle interior handles such as for the inside remote control handle for the door lock mechanism.

The exterior shape of the handle 11 is generally con- 2,783,075 Patented Feb. 26,1957

ventional, the hub portion 12 thereof having tapered side walls and the crank arm 13 thereof being generallyU- shaped in cross-section. The hub 12 of the handle is formed preferably by die casting, and is provided with a central stepped bore having a portion 16 longitudinally serrated to form circumferentially spaced teeth therein. The smaller diameter terminal end portion 17 of the stepped bore has smooth walls forming a pilot for the cylindrical end portion 18 of the window regulator stem 19. The stem 19 is formed with intermediate cylindrical portions 21 and 22 of equal diameter spaced from each other by means of a peripheral groove 23. The portion 21 of the stem 19 is longitudinally serrated to form teeth meshing with the corresponding teeth in the serrated bore 16 formed in the hub 12 of the handle to permit the handle to be readily attached to and detached from the stem by relative axial movement, yet providing a nonrotatable mounting between the handle and stem. The cylindrical portion 22 of the regulator stem 19 is conventionally connected to window regulator mechanism (not shown) to raise or lower the vehicle Window upon rotation of the stem by the handle.

In alignment with the peripheral groove 23 in the stem 19 when the handle and stem are assembled, the hub 12 of the handle is formed with a generally circular cavity 24. As best seen in Figure 4, the cavity 24 has a throat portion 26 extending longitudinally of the handie and providing an opening 27 in the end Wall 28 of the handle hub. As will be seen from an examination of Figure 5, theopening 27 in the end wall 28 of the. handle hub is in the form of an inverted U with its open side at the base of the hub. Referring again to Figure 4,, it will be seen that openings 29 and 31 are formed in thehub 12 of the die cast handle for the purposes of lightness.

Directly beneath the circular cavity 24 formed invthe: hub 12 of the handle, the hub is formed with a counter-- bore 32 having diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the circular cavity 24 so as to form a shoulder 33 therebetween. Seated uponthe shoulder 33 formed between the counter-bore 32 and the circular cavity 24 is a flat annular retainer 34 preferably formed of sheet metal. The retainer 34 is centrally apertured at 36 to provide clearance for the insertion therethrough of the intermediate cylindrical portions 21 and 22 of the window regulator stem 19. The retainer 34 is placed upon the shoulder 33 and then staked in place permanently at a number of points 37 located around the periphery of the retainer.

Depending downwardly into the throat portion 26 of ice the cavity 24 formed in the hub 12 of the handle is av through theop'en throat 26 thereof and, in the assembled relationship of the handle and window regulator stem 19:, embrace the-peripheral groove 2 3 formed in the stem j".

- Adjacentih e base 42 of the spring detent 41 each leg 43"of the detent is formed with an inwardly bent"a'r'cuate retaining portion 44 adapted to be snapped over the rounded cars 39 of the downwardly depending flange 38 of the handle hub. The hairpin shaped spring detent 41 is thus retained in place within the handle hub yet it will be apparent that the detent may be readily removed by reaching through the opening 27 in the end wall 28 The flange 38 is formed of the'hub with a suitable tool and engaging the base 42 of the spring detent and exerting a force lengthwise of the handleto spring the legs 43 of the detent apart permitting the retaining portions to snap over the cars 39. In the assembled position of the spring detent 41, the legs '43 of the latter are held against displacement axially of the window regulator stem ,19 by means of the flat annular retainer 34.

From the foregoing it'will be seen that the handle 11 is mounted upon the window regulator 19 and held against removal therefrom by means of the spring detent 41. .It will also be noted that the inverted Ushaped crank arm 13 of the handle effectively shields the opening 27 in the end wall of the handle hub from normal view, yet permits convenient access therethrongh to the base 42 ofthe spring detent 41 to effect the removal thereof by means of a suitable tool and to thereby permit removal of the handle from the regulator stem. Since therspring detent 41 is thus located asubstantial distance from the base of the handle hub 12, the latter may be mounted closely adjacent the upholstery panel 46 carried by the inner sheet metal door or body panel 47. A simplified construction results, in which the need for a spring mounted escutcheon plate or a flexible upholstery panel to gain access to the means securing the handle to the hub is eliminated. In addition, since the hairpin shaped spring detent 41 is retained axially in the circular cavity 24 by means of the separate fiat retainer 34, it will be seen that the handle can be formed by a simple die cast operation eliminating the need for a separate lateral draw which otherwise would benecessary to form the slot therethrough for the spring detent.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described,

but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A handle assembly adapted to be mounted adjacent an inner body panel of "a motor vehicle comprising a shaftprojecting inwardly through said inner body panel, said shaft having an annular groove formed in the periphery of its inwardly projecting portion a predetermined distance from said body panel, said shaft also having a longitudinally serrated portion between ,said annular groove and the end of said shaft, a cast handle having a hub and an integral crank 'armextending .radially from said hub with said crank arm being spaced from the plane of the base of said hub to, form aprotcctivc cover for one wall of said hub, said hub having a longitudinally serrated bore nonrotatably receiving the serrated portion of said shaft, said hub also beingformed with a stepped counterbored portion concentric with the axis'ofsaidserrated bore and forming two adjacent shallowcylindrical cavities separated'by an annularshoulder, the cylindrical .cavityhaving the smallest diameter being in radial alignment with the annular groove in the periphery of said shaft when said shaft andlhandle are assembled and having a width equalto'the width of said annular groove, a fiat annularretainer positioned in the other of said cylindrical-cavities andseatedagainst said shoulder, means securing said flat retainerfixedin position against said shoulder, a pair of spaced open passagewaysin. said hub.extending,paralleltoeach other and in a direction lengthwise ofthe crank arm of the handle assembly, said passageways each-opening at its, innerend into the counterbored portion of said hub'an'd at itsouter end into the above mentioned wall ofisaid huhand leaving therebetween an integral retaining portion projecting in an axial direction from the body portion of said hub, said retaining portion being bisected by a plane through the axis of said shaft and containing the longitudinal center line of the crank arm of said handle assembly, said retaining portion being located entirely within said hub and having a pair of oppositely projecting ears each projecting into one of the passageways formed in said hub, and a hairpin shaped spring detent having a pair of generally parallel legs each extending through one of the passageways of said hub and into the cylindrical cavity of smaller diameter with intermediate portions of said legs being received within the annular groove formed in the periphery of said shaft and yieldably embracing said shaft, each of the legs of said spring detent also having inwardly bent retaining portions yicldably engaging the outwardly projecting ears of said retaining portion of said hub to yieldably retain the spring detent in interlocking relationship with said hub and shaft, the base of said U-shaped spring detent abutting the side of said retaining portion of the hub and being accessible for removal through the openings formed in the said wall of the hub beneath the protective cover of the crank arm of the handle.

2. A motor vehicle interior handle assembly comprising a shaft having an annular groove formed in its periphery'intermediate its ends and a longitudinally serrated portion between said annular groove and the free end of said shaft, a cast handle having a hub and an integral crank armextending radially therefrom, said hub having a longitudinally serrated bore nonrotatably receiving the serrated portion of said shaft, said hub also having a stepped counterbored portion concentric with the axis of said serrated bore, said counterbored portion forming a first generally circular cavity in radial alignment with the annular groove in the periphery of said shaft and a second generally circular cavity of larger diameter than said first cavity forming a shoulder between said first and second cavities, said first generally circular cavity having an open throat portion extending in the direction of said crank arm and connecting with an opening through the side wall of said hub beneath the adjacent portion of said crank arm, said hub having an integral axially extending flange projecting from the bodyportion of said hub through the central portion of the open throat of said first cavity, a flat annular metal retainer in said second cavity adjacent said shoulder and secured therein, said retainer having a central opening for the projecting therethrough of said shaft, and a generally U-shaped spring detent positioned in said first cavity and retained against movement in an axial direction between the body portion of said hub and said fiat retainer, said spring detent projecting through said throat portion of saidfirst cavity and embracing said axially extending flange of said hub, said spring detent having resilientlcg portions embracing said shaft and seated in the annular groove formed in the periphery of said shaft on opposite sides thereof to retain said handle in position upon said shaft, and the leg portions of: said spring detent being formed adjacent its base with inwardly bent arcnate resilient portions 'yieldably engaging portions of said flange to detachably retain said spring detent in inter locking. relationship with-the annular groove of said shaft.

Marple Apr. 22,1930 Jacobi Oct. 11, 1932 

